Mouthguard and container therefor

ABSTRACT

A container for a mouthguard has two closed positions. In one of these, there is an opening between confronting margins of the top and bottom halves of the container that allows an integral attaching strap of the mouthguard to pass through. Intra-oral devices such as mouthguards can be customized by using a manually operated electric gun to progressively melt a stick of pharmaceutical hot melt material and dispense the melted material onto a device, such as to fill a space in a trough of a mouthguard. Such a gun may have two barrels for melting sticks of different durometer, or a single barrel for melting a dual-durometer stick. The gun also has a quick-attach, quick-release mechanism for interchanging different dispensing nozzles.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One type of intra-oral device is a mouthguard. Examples of mouthguardsare described in the Applicant's U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,955,393 and 5,082,007.Such mouthguards are fabricated by injection molding in injectionmolding apparatus, and they can be either consumer products sold throughcommercial outlets, such as department stores, sporting goods stores,etc., or they can be medical devices available through medicalprofessionals. In some instances, the user of the mouthguard may benefitby having certain modifications made to the manufactured mouthguard sothat the mouthguard is thereby customized to the individual.

In one respect the present invention relates to apparatus and method forcustomizing a generically produced mouthguard for an individual user.Such method and apparatus involve the use of a manually operatedelectric heating gun which progressively melts the forward end of astick of customizing material and is manipulated to apply the meltedmaterial to a generic intra-oral device in a desired manner. Where theintra-oral device is a mouthguard made of a material such asethylene-vinyl-acetate co-polymer (EVA), the stick of material is alsoadvantageously EVA. Where the intra-oral device is a different material,such as metal, the use of an EVA stick is still advantageous because ithas a certain tenacity for most materials including metals. Because thecustomized device is to be put to intra-oral usage, the EVA is apharmaceutical grade of material.

The sticks are themselves novel because of unique arrangements ofdifferent zones of material constituting the sticks. For example, onestick may have one zone of one durometer material and another zone ofdifferent durometer material. In two disclosed embodiments, the zonesmay be either concentric or side-by-side as viewed in transverse crosssection through the sticks.

Certain features of the manually operated electric heating gun are alsounique. One feature is the provision of multiple barrels forsimultaneously feeding multiple sticks through the gun to a commonheating chamber and dispensing nozzle. This allows one stick to be ofone durometer material and another to be of a different durometermaterial. Another feature of the gun is a system of interchangeablenozzles which provide different patterns for the melted material beingdispensed. The gun and nozzles are also provided with quick-attach andquick-release features.

Certain mouthguards have an integral attaching strap that allows themouthguard to be attached to a face bar or mask, such as commonly usedby participants in certain sports activities, and a further aspect ofthe present invention relates to a container for such a mouthguard. Thecontainer is selectively operable to an open condition allowing themouthguard body to be disposed in the container. It is also selectivelyoperable to either of two closed conditions depending upon whether ornot the attaching strap has also been disposed in the container. If theattaching strap has been allowed to pass outwardly from the container,the container is operable to the first of the two closed conditions.This allows the container to be effectively used while the mouthguardremains attached to a face bar, or mask, by its attaching strap. If onthe other hand the attaching strap is unattached and disposed entirelyinside the container, the container can then be operated to the secondof its two closed conditions, thereby completely enclosing the entiretyof the mouthguard including the attaching strap.

The foregoing, along with additional features, advantages, and benefitsof the invention, will be seen in the ensuing description and claimswhich should be considered in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings. The drawings illustrate a presently preferred embodiment ofthe invention according to the best mode contemplated at the presenttime for carrying out the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a mouthguard container inaccordance with principles of the invention and illustrating a partiallyopen condition.

FIG. 2 is a view in the same direction as FIG. 1 illustrating a firstclosed condition.

FIG. 3 is a view in the same direction as FIG. 1 illustrating a secondclosed condition.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view in the direction of arrows 4--4 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view as taken in the direction ofarrows 5--5 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of FIG. 2, including a mouthguard.

FIG. 7 is a view like FIG. 6 showing the mouthguard's attaching strapattached to a face bar, but with a slightly modified form of container.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a mouthguard by itself.

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of another mouthguard by itself.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view in the direction of arrows10--10 in FIG. 9 showing a step in the method principles of theinvention having been applied to the mouthguard.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view, with a portion in cross section of adental impression tray that has been modified in accordance with methodprinciples of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of a tool that is used in thepractice of the method, the tool being a manually operated electricpowered gun.

FIGS. 13-16 are front end views of various nozzles that are used withthe tool of FIG. 12.

FIG. 17 is a side view of a stick of material that is used with thetool.

FIGS. 18-20 are end views of different forms of sticks.

FIG. 21 is a top plan view of another embodiment of tool.

FIG. 22 is a rear elevational view in the direction of arrows 22--22 inFIG. 21.

FIG. 23 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-sectional view in the directionof arrows 23--23 in FIG. 21 showing additional details.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1-5 illustrate an exemplary mouthguard container 30 of the presentinvention by itself. The container comprises two separate parts 32, 34which cooperatively form an enclosure that is generally rectangular inshape. Each part 32, 34 is in the general form of a half-shell, and whenthey are closed, they fit together in a telescopic manner at matingmargins 36, 38. Margin 38 of part 34 is slightly indented so that whenthe two parts are closed together, their exteriors are generally flushwith margin 36 fitting snuggly over margin 38.

At the front of part 34, margin 38 is centrally provided with arectangular notch 40 that extends downwardly from the upper edge of themargin. There are two smaller notches 42, 44 disposed spaced apart fromand to either side of notch 40. Directly below the indented margin 38,part 34 contains an upwardly open rectangular pocket 46. At the front ofpart 32, a rectangular tongue 48 projects downwardly from margin 36.Tongue 48 is adapted to be received in pocket 46 when the two parts 32,34 are in the second of two closed positions, to be subsequentlyexplained.

Immediately to each side of notch 40 are two pairs of slots 50, 52. Theslots 50 are the upper slots, and the slots 52 are the lower slots.Slots 50 are horizontally aligned with each other while slots 52 arehorizontally aligned with each other. Immediately to each side of tongue48, margin 36 contains a pair of ribs 54 which are horizontally alignedwith each other. When the two parts 32, 34 are aligned, as in FIG. 1,and then telescoped together, as in FIGS. 2 and 3, ribs 54 first lodgein slots 50 (FIG. 2), and then in slots 52 (FIG. 3).

The position of FIG. 2 represents a first closed position of parts 32,34. In this position, none of notches 40, 42, or 44 is occluded bymargin 36, although the two margins 36, 38 partially telescopicallyoverlap with an interference fit. The amount of notch 40 that is notoccluded is an area that is just slightly larger than the transversecross section of an attaching strap of a mouthguard with which container30 can be used.

The position of FIG. 3 represents a second closed position of parts 32,34. In this position, all notches 40, 42, and 44 are occluded by margin36, and tongue 48 lodges in pocket 46.

Parts 32, 34 are fabricated from a suitable plastic that is fairlyrigid, but nonetheless slightly resilient so that the two parts can betelescoped together with a modest amount of force to snap-catch ribs 54in slots 50 or 52 depending upon which of the two closed positions theparts 32, 34 are operated to, and so that the two parts can be separatedto open the container. In this regard, tongue 48 is useful in flexingthe front of part 32 for disengaging ribs 54 from slots 50 and 52 whenthe container is to be opened. As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom wall ofpart 34 contains several small vent holes 56.

The two parts 32, 34 are sized to provide an enclosure for the U-shapedbody of a mouthguard of the type disclosed in the aforementionedpatents. Such mouthguards may also have a flexible attaching, ortethering, strap extending forwardly from the front of the U-shapedbody.

FIG. 6 illustrates such a mouthguard 58 having such a body 60 andattaching strap 62. Body 60 is wholly contained within the enclosurethat is cooperatively defined by parts 32, 34. Container 30 is shown inFIG. 6 to be in the first closed position described above. Accordingly,strap 62 can pass outwardly from the container through the non-occludedarea of notch 40 so as to leave a distal end portion of the strapavailable for attachment to an object such as a face mask, or face bar.FIG. 7 shows such an attachment wherein the face bar is designated bythe numeral 64. The distal end of the strap is configured in aconventional configuration to allow it to be looped around the face barand back unto itself to create a tethering loop surrounding the facebar.

The advantages of the container can now be more fully appreciated. Themouthguard can be attached by its tethering strap to the face bar, andused by the individual user. When the use ceases, the container can beplaced onto the main body of the mouthguard thereby enclosing the mainbody while allowing the strap to pass through. When the tetheredmouthguard is to be used once again, the container is simply removed.Thus, the container may be used to cover the intra-oral portion of themouthguard (i.e. the main body), while the mouthguard remains tetheredto the face bar.

If the attaching strap is looped back onto the main body, the containercan wholly enclose both the main body and the attaching strap and beoperated to either the first or the second closed position. When in thesecond closed position, vent holes 56 remain unoccluded. The containerof FIG. 7 differs from the one of FIGS. 1-6 in that the two parts 32, 34are joined by an integral living hinge 66 at the rear, and hence the twoparts 32, 34 open and close in clamshell fashion. Container 30 isfabricated by conventional molding procedures in suitably designedmolds, such as by injection molding. The container has the furtheradvantage that it can be used for a mouthguard which has an attachingstrap and also one that does not. Because of this, it is unnecessary tohave different containers for mouthguards depending upon whether or notthe mouthguard has an attaching strap. The container is sized toaccommodate a strap that is looped back into the container, such as bymaking a loop in the distal end of the strap and then folding the loopback over the front of the mouthguard to nest the loop within theU-shape of the mouthguard.

FIG. 8 shows a mouthguard 70 having an upper trough 72 that shares acommon occlusal wall 74 with a lower trough 76. This mouthguard is likethose shown in the referenced patents, and has been put to use such thatimpressions of the upper and lower dental arches of the user have beenimpressed into the respective troughs. This mouthguard represents anexample where the user is has a full set of teeth in the upper arch.FIG. 9 is like FIG. 8 but shows a condition where the user is missingcertain teeth of the upper arch so that gaps 78 and 80 exist in theimpressions as indicated. A method aspect of the invention relates tothe use of a tool to add material to the mouthguard for filling thesespaces at least to a certain extent. A filling 82 of gap 78 is shown inFIG. 10. The filling material is the same as that of the mouthguard, EVAin the example. The filling forms a bond with the mouthguard without theneed to use separate adhesive. The filling is a hot melt material thatis applied by a manually operated electric gun, to be described inconnection with FIGS. 12-23.

The method is also useful for customizing intra-oral devices other thanmouthguards, including for example a dental impression tray, even thoughthe tray is metal, rather than EVA. Application of a bead 84 of hot meltmaterial to the rim of a metal impression tray 86 is depicted by FIG.11. A TMJ splint is an example of another intra-oral device that can becustomized by principles of the invention. Such a device may require arise from canine to canine on the lower arch. Such a rise may be createdby applying hot melt material to such a splint.

FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate a manually operated electric gun 88 fordispensing hot melt material. The gun comprises a pistol grip portion 90and a barrel portion 92. Barrel portion 92 comprises a barrel that hasan entrance at the rear for a stick 94 of hot melt material. The barrelextends forwardly to a nozzle 96 at the front end. Internally and towardthe front of barrel portion 92, gun 88 contains a heating chamber thatis electrically energized for melting the forward end of stick 94. Thegun includes an electric cord and plug (not shown) that provides for thegun to be plugged into a standard electrical receptacle to heat itsheating chamber. Pistol grip portion 90 contains a trigger 98 thatoperates an internal mechanism for progressively advancing stick 94within barrel portion 92 by repeated squeezing of the trigger. Thisinternal mechanism and the heating chamber are like those ofcommercially available glue guns that are used to dispense hot meltadhesive. The gun functions, as trigger 98 is squeezed, to dispense thehot melt material that has been melted from the front end of stick 94 inits heating chamber through an opening of nozzle 96. The gun ismanipulated by its user to dispense the appropriate amount of hot meltmaterial in the appropriate location so as to develop the desired shapefor the modification that customizes the intra-oral device to therequirement of the particular individual user of the intra-oral device.

Nozzle 96 has a circular outlet hole 100 through which the hot meltmaterial is dispensed. FIGS. 14, 15, and 16 depict other nozzles 102,104, 106 that have other unique shapes for their outlets. These enablethe person making the modification to develop various shapes for the hotmelt material being dispensed. The nozzles are interchangeable on gun88, preferably by the quick-attach, quick-release mechanism that will besubsequently described in connection with FIG. 23.

FIGS. 17 and 18 show stick 94 by itself. It is a cylinder that ishomogenous throughout. Because of the intra-oral usage of the modifieddevices, the material of stick 94 is a pharmaceutical grade, preferablyEVA, as mentioned earlier. Because mouthguards fabricated of EVA areoften fabricated with a fragrance additive, stick 94 may be similarlyfragranced with a fragrance additive.

Sticks 94 may be manufactured by a process of extrusion in an extruder.The sticks are cut to length from the extruded material.

FIG. 19 depicts a stick 108 which has a central cylindrical core 110that is surrounded by a cylindrical sleeve 112. The two are of the samematerial but of different durometers. Such a stick is fabricated byfirst extruding core 110, and then extruding sleeve 112 onto core 112.

FIG. 20 depicts yet another stick 114 which has two hemispheres 116, 118of the same material but of different durometers. This stick isfabricated by co-extruding the two hemispheres simultaneously, or itcould be fabricated by first extruding one hemisphere and then extrudingthe other hemisphere onto the first.

FIGS. 21 and 22 illustrate another form of gun 120. This gun is like thefirst except that is has two separate barrels via which respectivesticks 122, 124 can be fed. The barrels share the common heating chamberat the forward end of the barrel portion so that the melted materialfrom the front end of one stick mixes with that from the other beforethe mixture is dispensed from the nozzle. This embodiment of gun canhave the same effect as the use of a dual durometer stick 108, 114 inthe single barrel gun 88. This is accomplished by feeding a stick of onedurometer in one barrel and a stick of different durometer in the otherbarrel.

FIG. 23 shows a quick-attach, quick-release mechanism for the nozzles.The forward end of the gun barrel portion comprises an outer body 126surrounding the heating chamber 128 in which the forward end of a stickof hot melt material is melted. The forward end of heating chamber 128terminates in a finished transverse surface 130. The nozzle 132 has aforwardly disposed dispensing tip 134 and a tubular shank 136 extendingrearwardly from tip 134. Shank 136 terminates rearwardly in a finishedtransverse surface 138 that forcefully abuts surface 130 to form a sealbetween the two which provides for melted material to pass from heatingchamber 128 into and through nozzle 132 for dispensing from tip 134.FIG. 23 shows the installed position of the nozzle on the gun. Theforceful abutment of surface 138 with surface 130 is attained by theengagement of a plurality of spring-loaded balls 140 with afrusto-conically tapered surface 142 of shank 136. Balls 140 arearranged at uniform intervals around a circular cage 144 that isretained on outer body 126 in surrounding relation to shank 136. Springs146 act on balls 140 to urge them radially inwardly. The reaction of theballs with surface 142 forces the nozzle toward the rear of the barrelthereby forcing surface 138 against surface 130.

Release of the nozzle from the barrel is accomplished via a large nut148 that is threaded onto an exterior thread on outer body 126. The nutis twisted in a direction that causes the nut to move forwardly on theouter body. The forward face of the nut engages a flange 150 of nozzle132, and continued twisting of the nut pushes the nozzle forwardlyrelative to outer body 126 against the opposite component of forceexerted by balls 140 on surface 142. Eventually a point is reached wherethe balls clear surface 142, freeing the nozzle.

The removed nozzle can be replaced by a different one by twisting nut148 to sufficiently retract it on the barrel so that it will notinterfere with the flange 150 of the new nozzle. The new nozzle isinstalled by inserting its shank 136 into the open forward end of thebarrel. Rearwardly of surface 142, shank has an oppositely taperedfrusto-conical surface 152 that has a shallower taper than surface 142.As the nozzle is being inserted into the barrel, surface 152 engagesballs 140, retracting them against the spring forces. When the ballsclear surface 152, the spring forces are exerted on surface 142, causingthe nozzle to snap into place with surfaces 138 and 130 forcefullyabutting.

While a presently preferred embodiment of the invention has beenillustrated and described, it should be appreciated that principles areapplicable to other embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A container in combination with a mouthguardwhich has a U-shaped body and an elongate flexible attaching strapextending forwardly from said body, said container comprising a firstenclosing part and a second enclosing part that are selectively openablefor enabling the container to receive said mouthguard body and closeablefor enabling the container to enclose said mouthguard body,characterized in that said parts are selectively operable to twodiscrete positions of closing defined by two respective locator means,one of said locator means defining a first position of closing whereinsaid parts define a frontal opening that is slightly larger than atransverse cross section of said attaching strap so as to allow saidattaching strap to pass outwardly from said container when saidmouthguard body is disposed within said container, and the other of saidlocator means defining a second position of closing wherein said frontalopening is reduced to less than such transverse cross section of saidattaching strap so as to preclude such outward passage of said attachingstrap from said container, said container having a size and shape thatallows said attaching strap from said container, said container having asize and shape that allows said attaching strap to be flexed into saidcontainer prior to closing and to be enclosed within said containeralong with said mouthguard body so as to allow said parts to be operatedto said second position of closing with both said mouthguard body andsaid attaching strap enclosed within said container.
 2. A container incombination with a mouthguard as set forth in claim 1 in which the crosssection of said frontal opening is reduced to zero when said parts areoperated to said second position of closing.
 3. A container incombination with a mouthguard as set forth in claim 1 in which saidcontainer comprises vent opening means that are open when said parts arein said first position of closing and that are closed when said partsare in said second position of closing.
 4. A container in combinationwith a mouthguard as set forth in claim 3 in which said containerincludes additional vent opening means that are open when said parts arein both said first position of closing and said second position ofclosing.
 5. A container in combination with a mouthguard as set forth inclaim 1 in which said locator means comprise snap-catch means.
 6. Acontainer in combination with an intro-oral device which has a body forintro-oral placement and an elongate flexible attachment means extendingforwardly from said body, said container comprising a first enclosingpart and a second enclosing part that are selectively openable forenabling said the container to receive said body and closeable forenabling said container to enclose said body, characterized in that saidparts are selectively operable to two discrete positions of closingdefined by two respective locator means, one of said locator meansdefining a first position of closing wherein said parts define a frontalopening that is slightly larger than a transverse cross section of saidattachment means so as to allow said elongate attachment means to passoutwardly from said container when said body is disposed within saidcontainer, and the other of said locator means defining a secondposition of closing wherein said frontal opening is reduced to less thansuch transverse cross section of said attachment means so as to precludesuch outward passage of said attachment means from said container, saidcontainer having a size and shape that allows said attachment means tobe flexed into said container prior to closing and to be enclosed withinsaid container along with said body so as to allow said parts to beoperated to said second position of closing with both said body and saidattachment means enclosed within said container.
 7. A container incombination with a device as set forth in claim 6 in which the crosssection of said frontal opening is reduced to zero when said parts areoperated to said second position of closing.
 8. A container incombination with a device as set forth in claim 6 in which saidcontainer comprises vent opening means that are open when said parts arein said first position of closing and that are closed when said partsare in said second position of closing.
 9. A container in combinationwith a device as set forth in claim 8 in which said container includesadditional vent opening means that are open when said parts are in bothsaid first position of closing and said second position of closing. 10.A container in combination with a device as set forth in claim 6 inwhich said locator means comprise snap-catch means.